


Mission of a Hopeless Romantic

by orphan_account



Series: Fill the Void [13]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Assassins & Hitmen, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Hit man AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23327617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ryan isn't joking when he says he has clout when it comes to choosing his missions and his targets. But none of it matters when his agency teams him up with one J. Dooley.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Ryan Haywood
Series: Fill the Void [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663750
Kudos: 65





	Mission of a Hopeless Romantic

Ryan is used to a certain type of propriety and professionalism when it comes to his line of work. If you could call a position of as a hitman _professional._ But that is how Ryan sees it. He works for an agency. He’s not some freelancer taking whatever marks come his way. He can decide he wants a target or not. He has some leeway and his beliefs matter. And that’s all that he wants.

He’s used to working on his own, flying out to some distant country, researching his target, and making a clean hit. Simple and efficient. He’s known for his success rates and keeping it off the radar. And he’s likely to say he works _best_ alone, but then again, sacrifices must be made.

“What do you _mean_ I’m to work with a partner?” he says.

Sometimes he talks back to the chain of command. Only when they decided to make idiotic decisions for him. Like giving him a partner when he has no need for one.

“What I mean, Haywood, is that this mark will be a long haul,” he’s told. “You need a decent cover and that requires a partner and a decent cover story.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

It means he’s expected to concoct a story where he’s dating someone to give them an excuse to be seen together constantly. And to top it all off, he’ll be partnered off with J. Dooley.

J. Dooley—aka Jeremy Dooley, aka Rimmy Tim (in the training rooms that is)—is another one of the agency’s top agents. He’s given the more difficult cases that require crawling around in the mud in construction sites and entering the hornets’ nests and lions’ dens of gangland America. Where Ryan is precision and class, Jeremy is the bare knuckle brawler on the docks fighting for a meal. It’s not to say anything bad about him—Ryan does have some respect for him—it’s just to say that Ryan comes from a different side of the profession. And he’s secretly possessive of the cases he’s given. Call him a perfectionist, but that’s how he works and he wants to keep it that way.

Apparently not so according to the top brass. He’s to work alongside with _and not to mention pose as a couple with_ Jeremy Dooley. This is so far beyond what Ryan is used to that he doesn’t even know what to expect.

But as a professional, he takes the mark regardless and packs up for a trip to Canada. Why a Canadian is the mark, Ryan will never know. He’s rarely interested in the reasons why a mark has been put out on a person. The less he knows, the better in his opinion. He’s here to learn routines and pick a stance that will cause the least fuss when he finally ends it.

He meets Jeremy in the airport just as he steps out from the gate. They’ve been connected by phone and have been texting since the arrangement was made. He catches up with Jeremy just outside a Tim Horton's.

“Haywood,” he says. “Good to see you. Hope the flight wasn’t too bad.” He smiles friendly enough, rosy cheeked from the cold weather no doubt.

“Not bad at all, Dooley,” he says. “And please, call me Ryan, if we’re to work together.”

“Only if you call me Jeremy.” He winks at him cheekily enough and pulls down his aviators from where they sit on the brim of his ball cap. “Come on. I’ll show you to the house and we can get settled.”

They shake hands, and like a proper gentlemen, Jeremy offers to help him with his bags. They drive into the city of Gatineau. It’s an older city and that’s saying something considering it’s Canada. Snowy, icy, and frigid, it’ll be an interesting job to work.

They’re set up in a newer subdivision of semi-detached houses. Once more Jeremy helps him with his bags into the house and shows him to his room. It’s a perfectly utilitarian household. Perfectly new and non-descript, exactly what a safe house should be. Jeremy seems to keep a tight ship. Everything is neat and tidy and—

Jeremy’s cap is off. He’s shaved his head since Ryan has last seen him. Albeit months ago, but still. This is a significant change and, dare Ryan say it, makes him look more mature.

Ryan shakes his head and moves to the basement which Jeremy has co-opted as his base of operations. They go down together and open up the case files and begin to get into work mode. Ryan has no time for considering the physicality of his _work partner._ It wouldn’t be professional.

* * *

Their target is a high roller, so of course while they’re likely untouchable by the general public, it also means it’s hard for Ryan and Jeremy to get in close.

“Why do you think they asked as to be partners in all this?” Ryan asks. They’re taking a walk along the river. The sun is strong and reflects brightly off the piles of snow. They walk side by side, but the cold provides a nice cover to avoid the hand holding their cover would otherwise require.

“Partners as in—“

_“Partners partners.”_

“Right, well, this guy has money. And people who have money have security and intel. If we’re to pose as a couple on a romantic trip, it’ll cause less suspicion than two hulking hitmen.”

“I guess, but—“ Ryan’s thoughts are cut short when Jeremy pulls on his arm, causing him to stop, turn slightly and is completely taken by surprise when Jeremy rises up on his feet and kisses him quickly on the cheek. With his hand still on Ryan’s arm, he squeezes and holds him for a fond moment before retracting his hand and tucking it back into his coat pocket.

“Wh-what was that—“

Jeremy nods his head further down but keeps his fond smile firmly in place. Ryan looks up briefly to see the target only yards behind them. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Don’t get excited, _dear._ ”

They continue on with their walk, and Ryan has no further words to share. There’s an odd feeling in his stomach and he doesn’t like the feel of it.

* * *

They continue on with their charade whenever they’re out in town together. They have their story together. Been dating two years. Met through work at a human resource consultation firm. Here for an extended vacation. Jeremy, native to Boston and is no stranger to cold weather, had the idea of coming here with Ryan to show him the sites in a quiet town. Nothing too big or too flashy.

It’s working, and whenever Jeremy shares it, they get a sweet look and an ‘awww.’ Jeremy’s good with that. He’s the sweet and caring partner, and Ryan is the reserved and stoic one that always blushes when Jeremy pulls him in, hugs him, kisses him perhaps if the moment calls for it. Jeremy’s good at selling the act, but it’s not acting on Ryan’s part when he blushes. More a teenage girl than a professional hitman. He doesn’t know why he’s acting this way, but there’s something about Jeremy that muddles his mind a bit.

On one of their rare nights off, he makes a personal call to one of his closest friends and confidants, Meg.

“I’m not saying I’m into him. I’m just saying I don’t know what to do or how to school myself anymore. It’s like he takes all my rules and throws them out the window.” He’s confused at first when Meg laughs on the other end.

“Does the indomitable, ice hearted Agent Haywood have a tiny bit of a crush?”

“What? No, I do—you’re making this a bigger issue than it really is.”

“Oh, am I? Let me speak in poetic terms since that’s the only way you’ll understand it. Does it feel like the breath is stolen from your lungs when he looks at you like he’s in love? Do you find it hard to speak after whenever he kisses you? Do you ever feel that possessive spark when something else has his attention when you’re so called ‘acting’?”

It’s not often that Ryan is struck speechless, but this is one of this times.

“Oh, Ryan, you’re a master at everything except for matters of the heart. Did you ever once consider that you have a teensy tiny bit of a crush on Jeremy? I’ve seen him in the gym before. I don’t blame you.”

“That is _so not_ —“

Meg laughs again. “Your reaction sells it, baby doll. Now if I were in your shoes, I’d jump at that.”

“You’re not me and I’m not you.”

“You know what I’m saying, Ryan. And when it comes to you, you are a _hopeless_ romantic.”

“Yeah, thanks for the help, Meg.”

“Any time, Rye-bread!”

* * *

So if maybe Ryan _did_ have a crush. There’s not much he can do about it. In the professional sense, he knows it’ll all come to an end at the end of this case. His feelings are … there’s no basis to it all. Jeremy is kind and thoughtful. He knows how Ryan likes his tea when they’re deep in thought in the basement, going over video equipment of the bugs they laid out. When they’re out in a café, Jeremy will casually hold Ryan’s hand as he talks about his hobbies, looking at Ryan like he’s really, truly in love. Like it’s all so effortless to him and—

_Oh my god._

This is more than a crush. This is absolutely more than a crush.

Meg is right. Ryan is a romantic at heart when he can afford it. He’s thinking of flowers and breakfast in bed and terrible movies at the theatres. And who’s beside him as he’s day dreaming away? _Jeremy._

It’s doesn’t make sense, and Ryan doesn’t know what to do about it.

“What do you plan on doing after this case is done?” he asks one night. They’re in the final phases now. The hit will be put out in two days and then they’ll be back on a plane to Austin. No more of this now.

“Take a vacation to somewhere warm,” Jeremy says. “It’s what I usually do. What about you?”

“I don’t know. Probably go home. Read for a little while.”

“Anything good you’re looking forward to?”

“Well, I have been meaning to get back into high fantasy again. George RR Martin put out a book—“

“Did he finally publish book six?”

Ryan shakes his head and Jeremy sits back in his seat in a huff. “He did put out a lengthy book about the history of the Targaryens. Bunch of dragons and history of the Iron Throne and the Doom of Valyria. Thought it might be good to get into.”

“Aw man, I am _so_ out of sorts with Game of Thrones right now. I keep up with the show obviously, but I haven’t kept up with all the lore he’s been putting out.”

“I dabble from time to time. It’s my guilty pleasure.”

They continue on with their conversation of Game of Thrones and then it goes from there into other interests. Books. Movies. Television. Video games. It appears they have quite a lot in common, and Ryan finds himself, well, not falling in love exactly. That’s too extreme. Let’s just call it _falling in like._

* * *

When the case is at its end and they’re stepping off the escalator in the Austin airport, Ryan finds himself at a bit of a loss. It’s coming to an end, and he feels at a bit of a loss. Meg would call him a sap next time she sees him and a fool for not chasing after Jeremy when he had the chance.

The thing is, Ryan is new to this. He’s chased after a few women, yes, but not men. And no one in a long time. He’s a bit rusty.

“Jeremy,” he says. They’re outside of the airport now waiting for a taxi to come get them and take them back to headquarters. Soon the spell will be broken and Ryan wants to hold onto a piece of it at least. “I was hoping if we could stay in touch at least.”

Jeremy looks up at him slowly, and Ryan feels the courage in him die off when he’s looked at that way. Like he’s some source of light for him.

“Well, I should hope so,” Jeremy says. “Thought we were more than just friends after all that.”

Ryan’s not quite sure what he means by that, but it won’t take long for him to find out.


End file.
